Tottenham, West Ham and Everton want him – but is Brian Brobbey good enough for the PL?
Ajax star analysed
©IMAGO
A flurry of Premier League sides are reportedly chasing the signature of Ajax striker Brian Brobbey. After a slow start to the January transfer window, England’s biggest clubs have finally got to work in their attempts to lure new players to their squads before the window slams shut. And according to numerous reports, no less than three clubs in the English top-flight are racing to sign Ajax’s 22-year-old goalscoring talent.
| Rumour | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
Centre-Forward
| Ajax |
|
? |
 |
West Ham |
| Eredivisie | Premier League |
| Rumour | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
Centre-Forward
| Ajax |
|
? |
 |
Tottenham |
| Eredivisie | Premier League |
| Rumour | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
Centre-Forward
| Ajax |
|
? |
 |
Everton |
| Eredivisie | Premier League |
The first club linked with a move for the player were West Ham. The Hammers are in desperate need of more options in attack due to some nasty injuries this season, so it came as no surprise when the Daily Mail reported that the London club had enquired about signing Brobbey on loan, with an obligation to buy the striker in the summer. However, Fabrizio Romano then followed up on that story by stating that Tottenham were also interested in signing the striker on loan this month and would be willing to match West Ham’s offer. As if that wasn’t already intriguing enough, Dutch publication Telegraaf then reported that Everton had also contacted the Eredivisie side to ask about Brobbey’s availability. So why are three Premier League clubs so desperate to sign Brobbey?
Despite only being 22 years of age, Brobbey has been a name of interest for English clubs for quite some time. After bursting onto the scene for Ajax in the 2020/21 season, when he bagged six goals and two assists in 19 appearances for the Dutch club, Brobbey was deemed a young star in the making. This then led to a sudden move to RB Leipzig in Germany, however that deal didn’t work out at all for the striker and after returning on loan to the Dutch side, he then returned to Ajax permanently in 2022 for a fee of €16.3 million. Brobbey then returned the renewed loyalty shown in his former side by enjoying impressive back-to-back seasons with the club, scoring 35 goals as well as 13 assists in 62 league games, leading to both Manchester United and Arsenal reportedly taking an interest in the player. However, that interest never amounted to any serious offers and Brobbey remained an Ajax player. But that could be about to change.
Are Ajax willing to sell Brian Brobbey?
Although most of the aforementioned reports state that Ajax would prefer to recoup cash for the player in the immediate term with an immediate transfer, there’s very little doubt that Brobbey could be sold for the right price. Which may seem odd, considering his meteoric rise at the Dutch giants. However, while the young striker did well in his first two seasons back at the club, this season has been far from ideal. In 29 appearances across all competitions, Brobbey has managed just three goals and looks far from the player he once was for Ajax. “Last season, he was great, at least the second half of the season,” said Kevin Lux, Transfermarkt’s Eredivisie expert, when asked about Brobbey’s form this season. “He was the main reason Ajax got out of the slump they were in. His form even resulted in rumours that Manchester United was interested in him. This season, however, he has trouble scoring goals. In the beginning, people thought it was just bad luck, but lately his lack of goals is said to be caused by confidence issues.” Whether it be due to form or Brobbey simply wishing to test himself at a higher level, it seems almost certain that Ajax would be more than happy to sell the player this month if an opportunity to do so presented itself.
Is Brian Brobbey good enough for the Premier League?
But how good is Brobbey and should Premier League fans be wary of the player’s dip in form at Ajax? ”That is a difficult one to answer,” noted Lux when asked if the young striker was ready for English football. “Right now, he has trouble with finding the net in the Eredivisie, which is considered to be a striker’s heaven. Attackers that can’t seem to score goals, can become top scorers in the Dutch league, so if you can’t score here as a striker, you will have a hard time in the Premier League. But on the other hand, this period might just be a long slump and with his physical abilities, he could be an ideal signing for a Premier League club.” Coupled with his poor form in Germany, where Brobbey failed to score a single goal in just 14 appearances for RB Leipzig, there’s little doubt that the young striker simply didn’t impress in the Bundesliga, but it could equally be argued that he hasn’t had the opportunity to prove himself at a higher level. And when we consider what his main attributes are, it’s not hard to see why the likes of Everton, West Ham and Spurs are interested in signing the forward.
“His main strengths are his physical abilities,” added Lux, before admitting that he’s not entirely sure how the young striker would fit in at a new club with the demands of the English top-flight. “Brobbey isn’t a very technical striker, but makes up for that by being very strong physically. I’m still not sure what his best role is: being a target man or being the type of striker that will hold the ball and wait for teammates to arrive.” Whether he will be good enough to score the goals needed for a new team in England remains to be seen, but there’s little doubt that what he’s achieved to date has earned him plenty of attention from some of the Premier League’s biggest sides. And now, perhaps, he may finally get an opportunity to confirm that he was indeed worth all the buzz.
About author
Add comment